Charles Manson grandson wins battle over cult leader’s body

Jason Freeman, a former professional mixed martial arts fighter and the son of Manson’s offspring with his first wife, can now retrieve the body and choose to either bury or cremate it.

Mr Freeman previously said he would cremate Manson and spread the ashes, putting to rest “this so-called monster, this historical figure that shouldn’t have been blown up as big as it was for all these years”.

The legal battle started as the same parties claimed rights to Manson’s estate, including songs written by the criminal.

On opposing camps were Freeman, Michael Brunner – a man who said he was fathered by Manson – and Michael Channels – a pen pal who collected Manson memorabilia and claimed to have his will.

Over lack of evidence from the other two men, Mr Freeman was awarded custody of the body, with Mr Channels ultimately saying he just wanted to “take the dude’s ashes and dump them in the desert where he wanted”.

Mr Brunner was backed by another purported son, Matthew Lentz, who claims he was fathered by Manson during a Wisconsin orgy.

Nearly all interested parties have suggested others want to profit off Manson’s death by selling photos of the corpse to tabloid publications.

Mr Freeman has denied having a deal to sell photos of the body, but has showed interest in having a public ceremony to scatter the ashes, possibly documented by a film crew.